Kanius Adventure
by Raktael
Summary: Just read it, you'll like it =)


He had been wondering through the wood for some time now and he was getting tired. The young druid sat under a large old oak tree, it's bark was rough yet smooth as he ran a hand along the trunk. He slowly set down, taking off his leather clothes and hat he wiped the sweat from his brow.  
  
'Can't be much farther' he thought to himself before his mind slipped away almost, into a dream world...his eyes closed slowly a dream state almost took over...  
  
Some time later Kanius opened his eyes...what he saw was shocking...the forest was starting to set ablaze...creatures were running from all corners...even some goblins ran past him screaming. "What the...*move yourself Kanius...before you die in those flames* sh...!" He quickly about turned and started to run along through the trees, he was running without care...and then he stopped, panting...he grinned slightly as he began casting spells... As his SoW took effect he breathed deeply and sped off again...the fire was catching fast...too fast...this was no accident...it was magic, but who was behind such terror... Kanius cringed as he felt he could hear the trees scream in pain and anger as they burnt...their leaves cracking and curling into little balls of fire in the inferno.  
  
Whoever had set forth this spell was powerful...obviously far beyond the skill of Kanius himself, after all, he was but a low-leveled druid...and not the brightest it had to be said...  
  
Now Kanius knew his purpose...he must gather together his team of adventurers and find the culprit of this devastation...but where to start...first stop...he raised should be Kethelin and the Elven City of Felwithe...he would surely find help there...  
  
He stepped off the boat, that was one long journey...before him stood the small area before you left into Butcher Block Mountains... He nodded to the High Elf selling stuff to the side and past the Dwarven Guards at the entrance as they watched him...although they were almost half his size, they were dangerous if he annoyed them too much.  
  
He sat down and closed his eyes, he hadn't been able to meditate a lot on the ship and it had made him sick as it rode up and down over the waves of the ocean. Closing his eyes he began to relax...feeling the mana flow back through his body, the energy returning like a breathe of fresh air. After sitting for several minutes he stood up and began to cast some spells...mainly SOW...his run to Gfay would be dangerous.  
  
Running through zone he had to be fast...behind him trailed all sorts of creatures that would easily kick his ass if they caught him. He gasped for breath as he reached the path into Gfay...stood there was a tall high elf...his red tunic stood out like a sore thumb...his armor an array of colors shone in the sunlight, and he sent forth a spell...healing...Kanius felt a lot better already and shook the mans hand.  
  
"I'm Raktael...nice meeting you Kid...I guess your going to Gfay...so am I, come on...lets go"  
  
Kanius stood, he didn't know this man...but obviously a cleric, who was he to refuse...  
  
"So, tell me more about yourself...Raktael...was it?" Kanius walked behind the tall High Elf, whose strides took some fast walking to keep up with you.  
  
Raktael smiled, and stopped, turning and looking down at the wood elf. "I'm sorry...kind of rude back there wasn't I. I am Raktael, a Cleric...not a very good one at the moment though *sighs* I'm still trying to learn a new set of spells...just don't seem to be able to yet, so more training is required."  
  
Kanius looked up, peering slightly at Raktael, the man had deep blue eyes and a kindly face, you would probably get to make friends with him quickly, but you never could tell with the High elves...they were soo...soo...well, moody sometimes. Kanius looked away again, deep in thought. "I'm Kanius...a lowly druid...but I am seeking help...I was over in a wood...when it caught fire...but it was not natural...I could sense it Raktael!"  
  
Raktael motioned for them to continue walking onwards, they were heading up a long path, he was rubbing his chin and Kanius frowned slightly...then Raktael's voice broke through the air like a knife through butter... "I shall aid you Kanius...come with me...I know someone who can help you...he's a great wise Druid, named Solkanaar Leloup...he's a good friend of mine, he'll be able to tell you what to do...*whispers* I hope anyway"  
  
They walked around a great oak...and there looming over head built around the trees stood Kethelin...looming over kilometer's of trees...somewhere up there was Solkanaar and probably other Wood Elves who would be able to aide them in their quest...now the job was to find them...  
  
The circular boards around Kethelin buzzed with life, the bridges to each section wobbled and shook at times under the weight of the people crossing it with their armor or backs of things to trade. One man was even carrying a dead Orc over his back...weird weird man. Kanius had never seen so many different types of people, dwarves, elves of all kinds and many more...even the odd scaly Iksar roamed around here and there. Raktael lead the way, although at times Kanius had gotten lost, only to feel a large gloved hand grab his shirt and pull him off through the crowds again. He sometimes stared in awe at the Guild Houses that sometimes popped up..he made a note to go back and visit the druid one at a later time. The smells of the bark and food made his tummy rumbled and he wondered if this Solkanaar would have any food.  
  
"Child, if you did less thinking and more walking we would get there a lot quicker..." Raktael looked at Kanius sternly, like a parent to his child. Kanius looked back *innocently* "What? OH...sorry, i've just never been to Kethelin before..." Raktael's expression softened and he then frowned slightly "But your a druid, surely you have been to Kethelin, this is like the home of Druids..."  
  
"I grew up in Rivervale...it's not as nice as it is here...and I hit my head a lot." Raktael laughed before they continued walking, crossing a bridge that was fairly empty compared to the Inner areas of Kethelin. There were small houses dotted about...but a little way of stood a house a bit bigger than most of the others and thats where they were going. There were torches at the front entrance and Raktael stepped up and knocked sharply on the door. "Hey...Solk! It's Rak, open up mate..." there was a noise from somewhere behind the door and then slowly it opened...stood there wasa middle aged Wood Elf, who wore a faint grin on his face, he simply nodded and let them in, looking in surprise for a moment at Kanius, he shrugged and closed the door behind them.  
  
"Solk, old friend...this is Kanius, a young Druid, he has come here seeking your help...can we talk?"  
  
Solkanaar sat back in his chair, still wearing that faint grin. Two more Wood Elves had entered the room, and stood talking quietly in the corner. Raktael had gone over and greeted the men as Kanius took his seat on a hollowed out chair made from the old stump of an oak tree. The smell wafted up his nostrils and it relaxed kanius as he settled into it, trying to become comfortable. Raktael walked back over, removing various parts of his armor and laying them on the table next to them. He look strange without the Iron face mask and the black gauntlets that shielded those hands. Kanius then looked back to Solkanaar, his grin had faded and a more serious look took over. "How can I help you Kanius?" Solkanaar said, the age and wisdom showing through his voice and the look in his eyes. Kanius sat forward slightly..resting his hands on his knees, recalling the events from a few nights ago, then looked up into Solkanaars eyes. "I was in a forest, sleeping, when suddenly the wildlife stirred and began to run through the woods, then I noticed a great fire flowing through the wood like water in a stream. I ran...the fire I could tell was not natural, and I felt a pain as the life was drained away from the beings of the wood that perished in that fire"  
  
Raktael noticed Solkanaar tense, and knew something had gone terribly wrong. "Kanius...we also have felt that pain, as have all Wood Elves...we are connected with Nature, and feel these things, that night a great tragedy occured, we also do not know who or what caused the fire...but...we shall help you find out. Tyndyn and Jymmi here shall join you in reaching the East Commons, take Raktael, he needs to stay out of Trouble somehow. There you shall meet several Dark Elves allied with our Guild Kanius. For now you are helping the Great, Wrath of Vaer find out what happened. You shall meet with Legron and Tearl Zul'Vaer. They will be able to help you more than I. I do indeed fear you may end up travelling to Kunark and investigating with our Iksar friends there. It's quite alright, our Guild is wide spread, encompassing every Race and Class the world of Norrath has to offer. You must visit Felwithe Raktael, then return here tomorrow. Kanius can spend the night. We have much to discuss before his journey. Tyndyn will go with you."  
  
One of the other Wood Elves now stepped forward, obviously Tyndyn thought Kanius...this Wrath of Vaer was indeed unique to encompass such a wide spread group of people. The thought of dealing with Iksars and Dark Elves did put him off slightly, but all would be well with the escort he was acquiring to accompany him. "Solkanaar, the boy is young, surely we cannot..." Solkanaar stood up and faced Tyndyn, whispering slightly "He was there! He knows more than us, and besides...there is something about him, you will go with him...understood?" Tyndyn nodded, although obviously slightly aggitated. Through this whole ordeal Raktael and Jymmi had stayed silent...this certainly was big...and how far did this matter stretch...who was this Legron...and then Tearl...? Oh well, he would soon find out...  
  
"Come on...it's not far to Butchers Block...but out here all kinds of beasts roam, not least those damned orcs...one day we will rid them from our lands Kanius, you shall see!" Tyndyn walked ahead, followed by Kanius with Jymmi and Raktael close behind. Their trip to East Commons had began, and Kanius wondered why they didn't just teleport to a place near East Commons...then reaching the edge of Dark Elf territory (Nektulos Forest) would be easier for them as a whole.  
  
Raktael looked onward, breathing in the wood air...Felwithe wasn't far, and he had met his other clerics last night when he had travelled there. "Quel your fears Kanius...and if you have a question, ask it, or you won't know the answer will you" Kanius simply nodded and then looked at Jymmi..."Why do we not just teleport?" Jymmi lowered his head slightly and then sighed "We have received words that something awful is happened at druid rings around Norrath...we feel it is safer to travel by land and sea than to teleport...we're going to investogate this in West Commons while you go and see Legron..."  
  
Kanius simply turned back around and continued walking, after a short time they arrived at a high cliff, there was a path cut through the face, and they walked through...as they appeared on the other side. They were hit by the magnificent sun, something GF wasn't used to...ever...he peered for a while, letting his eyes re-adjust to the light before walking onward behind Jymmi. He saw some of the 'little people' and smiled slightly...he knew he shouldn't call them that, but he referred to most of the smaller races as that...although Wood Elves themselves weren't exactly tall, and Raktael stood a good foot taller than anyone else in the group.  
  
"Come child...we must hurry and reach the port to catch the boat...if not, it shall be quite some wait before we see another one coming this way...and I don''t feel like hanging around...do you?" Jymmi then walked quickly, speeding up the pace, now they could see things a lot better it was easier for them to travel without the fear of being attacked from the shadows.  
  
As they walked through BB, they passed many small hamlets with the odd guard and merchants here and there. Raktael seem worried about something...apparently he had come here a lot before and often had to run from trouble. He didn't like it...and clearly showed it. "Tyndyn...I think if we cut along here we can get to the docks much quicker...also would avoid the ghouls I have noted on the outer edges of the area..." Tyndyn twisted his head and looked Raktael "If we did that, we would stray from the path and could get lost...I'm not willing to take that chance, no matter how well we think we know the area." Raktael scowled a bit, but nodded and they carried on walking. Jymmi who had led the group since the start now seemed quieter...just seemed to be thinking about a lot of stuff and Kanius wondered what troubled him.  
  
"Jymmi...is everything all right?" Kanius had walked up alongside Jymmi, who turned and smiled gently at him "Yes Kanius...everything is fine...I'm just hoping to meet an old friend or two around here. Whether they are in BB at this time is another matter...our group would be a lot stronger...although mostly, if not all of us would be Druids" *grins*. Kanius sensed the ease in the mans voice...they hadn't walked much farther when two cloaked figures walked into the road ahead of them. Raktael clenched his hand around his Bone Wrath Hammer...while the rest silently prepared to use their weapons and spells too. "Who goes there?!" hailed Jymmi from beside Kanius...who watched on nervously...  
  
"Jymmi...is that you? AHAHA!! It is you..." The two figures looked at each other and removed their cloaks...stood before them were two beautiful women...Jymmi, Raktael and Tyndyn looked at each and grinned...."Botany!! Jaza!!! We had hoped you would be in the area! Last we heard you were trailing bandits...what happened?" The two wood elves walked towards them smiling..."Well...we lost them in BB somewhere...we thought you might be them...but your not obviously...although you do look kind of shift you know..." Botany remained silent and Jaza did most of the talking for the next few minutes, then they set off again...Kanius noted something in Raktael, he had gone quiet and hadn't said much since the two women had joined them...that was unlike Raktael...what could be wrong with him now.  
  
The group continued to walk along the path, eventually seeing a big stone wall with torches and guard outside...walking through Kanius saw the ocean and the docks...there was a High Elven Merchant in a corner which Raktael went to see about getting some supplies from while the rest headed up onto the docks to await the boat...  
  
Kanius stepped onto the boat and breathed in the thick salty air of BB...he looked back...the world he was just starting to get to know was changing all the time...and now he stood there alone...as the sails billowed with wind pushed the ship towards Freeport, home of the humans. Raktael, Tyndyn, Jymmi, Botany and Jaza were now seated inside the boats hull, at a small bar below Kanius who stood on the deck, they were deep in conversation, and as Kanius walked in he could only wonder what they had been discussing...  
  
"Do you like the life of the sea Kanius? It's not a grand one is it...and we do feel sorry for those sailors that spend the long hours making sure people get to where they go...one day I shall take you to Kunark...the maidens voyage is the best ship in Norrath!" Tyndyn look on, his voice slightly excited in the way he spoke, but he knew they were all hiding the worry and fear that seemed to drown them all in the barren dimness of the bar. The bar keep looked over and called out in a rough old voice if Kanius would like a drink, nodding Kanius walked over...  
  
"An ale...please" the tender smiled wryly and Raktaels hand fell on the young mans shoulders "He'll have a small...ale...understood Grothy?" The man behind the bar laughed slightly and nodded...Kanius frowned as he turned to face Raktael. "I can drink what I like, I am not a child" Raktael looked down and stared "This is no time for drinking...we're almost there...get your drink and come top side..."  
  
The others left Kanius to get his drink while they walked up the ramp and stood staring as the walls and port of Freeport came into view. Raktael frowned "It will be a hard trip for the boy...was this a wise choice?" Jymmi turned slightly "Solkanaar told us it was...we shall not disagree with his choice Rak, we know it shall be hard, that's why we are here...soon he will be able to learn his new spells and defend himself better" Raktael nodded as the boat pulled alongside the dock..."We'll see...*turns and sees Kanius* come boy, we have dark elves to meet..."  
  
Kanius peered around...a Human city, he didn't like these places as the Humans never seemed all that trusting to outsiders. They had stepped off the boat and walked down to the dock. No one spoke, they all followed Jymmi quickly through the door at the dock house and passed through. On the other side, they were met by the suspicious look of many guards as they stepped through under the archway into the city. Kanius moved closer to Raktael and Tyndyn, "Why are they staring at us so much?" asked Kanius quietly, "Well Kanius, we are a group of Elves, and the past between our different people's is not so good, we'll be fine, just keep walking" Kanius smiled as Tyndyn comforted his thoughts. He wondered if meeting the Dark Elves would be any worse as the Dark Elves were almost totally removed from the other Elven cultures, he hoped things would go smoothly. As they walked through the rest of Freeport, they noted the many different races and classes which came and went through the city and fought the bugs and approaching Orc's being sent from East Commons. Kanius was a little worried, the group had never been this quiet while they had traveled together, and he wondered if it was fear, or if there was simply nothing to be said by anyone...  
  
Jymmi stood before the group, a faint frown upon his face, the next trip would lead them through East Commons, and quite possibly Nektulos Forest, surely a worrying journey for this group of adventurers. "May I remind you to have all your weapons and armor on during this next part, we may be attacked by the beasts in the commons, or even by the Dark Elven guards if they do not know about our coming. I am sure our friends wouldn't allow us through their home knowing we would be in danger. Kanius, are you ready?" Kanius blushed slightly as all eyes fell on him, but then regaining his composure, he stood straighter than straight and nodded furiously at the others "I am ready for the challenge that awaits us...let's go!" The group then quickly ran off through the commons, having been hastened, Kanius noticed Raktael was still the slowest, his armor must be very heavy, and cleric's weren't known for their great speed, but he managed to keep up at the back, smiling briefly at Kanius as they followed the path. "Tyndyn my dear, surely Legs would send someone to meet us at the edge of the forest, would she not?" it was a surprise to hear Botany's voice, she had rarely spoken during the time Kanius had known her. "I am sure she will Botany, I am hoping so anyway as we could do with a nice escort through Nektulos..." the talk was broken as a group of bears came out of no-where, ambushing the group. Kanius was knocked back onto the floor as he saw his new friends take arms. Raktael stood a little back from the battle, the bears shouldn't be a problem for the group, he watched as the group of druids (which they all are bar Raktael, lol) cast their root spells and stepped back, sending forth their damage spells and watched sadly as the bears slowly died. Tyndyn had a worried look on his face "This is not like the bears, they never usually attack us during our walks through the commons...something is going very wrong on Norrath, this only makes our journey more urgent, come."  
  
Minutes later they were at the foot of a cliff, with a path cut through it, several people sat around, mostly talking and resting from their fights in the commons. He overheard that the tunnel was starting to become over-run by the undead from the nearby ruins, more bad news, was there anything but that right now. The group also sat away from the others, talking in low voices, their heads turning every so often towards the path in the cliff, where they worried or waiting...only time would tell Kanius. His thoughts took him over as he rested against the rocks, drifting off to sleep and forgetting about the troubles of the world. Instead thinking of the great planes and of nature, the touch of a tree's bark against his skin as he rests under it on a hot summer's day near a huge lake where his childhood friends would go swimming without worry...The next thing he knew, he was awoken sharply to see a Dark Elf standing in front of him, long black hair and deep blue eyes, a soft smile on her face. "Hello Kanius, my name is Soinne, I have looked forward to meeting you" she took his hand and helped him up. Raktael leaned towards him and whispered "She is a Cleric also my friend...she taught me much of what I know today, and now, she'll take us to Legron and Taerl"...Kanius smiled, everything seemed more at ease now as they followed her through the cliffs...  
  
Coming next: The group visits the Dark Elf city! And more of the chaos around Norrath (and Luclin now) unfolds as more is told to Kanius... 


End file.
